Never Make Promises. Or Even Vague Suggestions Of Half-Formed Ideas. March 24, 2011 10:42 PM Subscribe
So did butterstick and cortex et al ever get around to giving us their Dark Horse Aliens comic book summaries, as promised in this thread and specifically here, here, here, here and here?
Because that would have been awesome.
Disclaimer: I'm thinking of buying a couple of the Omnibusii for the weekend and want to concentrate on the best stuff. I've only read bits and pieces and this was years ago and I don't remember them that well. Also I know this is askme-ish but it's also kinda not, sorta, but if I Done Wrong please delete and I'll post to Ask.
Because that would have been awesome.
Disclaimer: I'm thinking of buying a couple of the Omnibusii for the weekend and want to concentrate on the best stuff. I've only read bits and pieces and this was years ago and I don't remember them that well. Also I know this is askme-ish but it's also kinda not, sorta, but if I Done Wrong please delete and I'll post to Ask.
Actually I'd say up till Earth War they holds up quite well. And there's a few bits and peices in after that which are pretty good.
The ingredients are quite simple: Aliens, facehuggers, queens, marines, guns, spaceships, planets, hives, atmosphere reprocessing plants, asshole beaurocrats, mad sceintists, the odd robot... but they manage to squeeze more variety out of them than, say, the Hellblazer comics did out of that franchise.
posted by Artw at 11:10 PM on March 24, 2011
The ingredients are quite simple: Aliens, facehuggers, queens, marines, guns, spaceships, planets, hives, atmosphere reprocessing plants, asshole beaurocrats, mad sceintists, the odd robot... but they manage to squeeze more variety out of them than, say, the Hellblazer comics did out of that franchise.
posted by Artw at 11:10 PM on March 24, 2011
People speak highly about Metafilter in general and all the ways that it's a remarkable website, but we're rarely more fascinating than when we're discussing Alien.
posted by Jofus at 11:44 PM on March 24, 2011 [2 favorites]
posted by Jofus at 11:44 PM on March 24, 2011 [2 favorites]
that's an awesome thread. and made me wish i paid more attention when Alien 3 was on TV recently
posted by Lovecraft In Brooklyn at 12:42 AM on March 25, 2011
posted by Lovecraft In Brooklyn at 12:42 AM on March 25, 2011
Yeah, I used to be pretty "meh" on Alien 3 but after watching the extended cut I think it's a brilliant piece of work.
Pity there's no Aliens-comic-review Project, from what I'm gathering. Guess I'll just get the 6 books from Amazon some day, not exactly a bank-breaker (though it's irritating that they changed the character names around in the first book, and I'm kicking myself for selling it years ago).
posted by tumid dahlia at 1:26 AM on March 25, 2011
Pity there's no Aliens-comic-review Project, from what I'm gathering. Guess I'll just get the 6 books from Amazon some day, not exactly a bank-breaker (though it's irritating that they changed the character names around in the first book, and I'm kicking myself for selling it years ago).
posted by tumid dahlia at 1:26 AM on March 25, 2011
Summary: They nuked it from orbit, it was the only way to be sure.
posted by Plutor at 5:35 AM on March 25, 2011
posted by Plutor at 5:35 AM on March 25, 2011
that's an awesome thread. and made me wish i paid more attention when Alien 3 was on TV recently
Oh, I don't think you missed anything...
posted by londonmark at 5:51 AM on March 25, 2011
Oh, I don't think you missed anything...
posted by londonmark at 5:51 AM on March 25, 2011
The Alien movies make no sense as a whole series, but individually, they work pretty good, even 3 and 4.
*lights fire*
The first one is the worst though....
posted by Brandon Blatcher at 5:54 AM on March 25, 2011
*lights fire*
The first one is the worst though....
posted by Brandon Blatcher at 5:54 AM on March 25, 2011
NOT YOU AGAIN
posted by tumid dahlia at 6:04 AM on March 25, 2011 [1 favorite]
posted by tumid dahlia at 6:04 AM on March 25, 2011 [1 favorite]
The Alien movies make no sense as a whole series, but individually, they work pretty goodwell, even 3 and 4.
Fixed that subject-verb agreement for ya.
posted by slogger at 6:19 AM on March 25, 2011
Fixed that subject-verb agreement for ya.
posted by slogger at 6:19 AM on March 25, 2011
Fixed that subject-verb agreement for ya.
Oh, are we back to being obnoxious? I really miss those days.
posted by nevercalm at 6:51 AM on March 25, 2011 [1 favorite]
Oh, are we back to being obnoxious? I really miss those days.
posted by nevercalm at 6:51 AM on March 25, 2011 [1 favorite]
Chocolate Pickle: "It's like the "Noodle Incident", better imagined than described"
Every time I listen to the band the String Cheese Incident I chuckle at whatever it was that led to that name. I have theories that I am sure are more outlandish than the real incident. I never wanted to pursue the real answer.
posted by JohnnyGunn at 6:51 AM on March 25, 2011
Every time I listen to the band the String Cheese Incident I chuckle at whatever it was that led to that name. I have theories that I am sure are more outlandish than the real incident. I never wanted to pursue the real answer.
posted by JohnnyGunn at 6:51 AM on March 25, 2011
Brandon Blatcher: "The Alien movies make no sense as a whole series, but individually, they work pretty good, even 3 and 4."
slogger: "Fixed that subject-verb agreement for ya."
Actually what you did was change an adjective to an adverb. It had nothing to do with the subject. The only time you modify a verb with an adjective is if the verb is a linking verb (which links a subject to additional information about that subject instead of describing an action). I don't think whether or not "work" is a linking verb is a grey area in this case. I could see it going either way.
Brandon Blatcher: " The first one is the worst though...."
That, however, is demonstrably wrong.
posted by Plutor at 7:12 AM on March 25, 2011 [1 favorite]
slogger: "Fixed that subject-verb agreement for ya."
Actually what you did was change an adjective to an adverb. It had nothing to do with the subject. The only time you modify a verb with an adjective is if the verb is a linking verb (which links a subject to additional information about that subject instead of describing an action). I don't think whether or not "work" is a linking verb is a grey area in this case. I could see it going either way.
Brandon Blatcher: " The first one is the worst though...."
That, however, is demonstrably wrong.
posted by Plutor at 7:12 AM on March 25, 2011 [1 favorite]
IThat's what I get for editing that sentence eight times.don'tthink whether or not "work" is a linking verb is a grey area in this case.
posted by Plutor at 7:13 AM on March 25, 2011
Oh man, I remember that idea. I liked that idea. I never did anything with it and don't know if I ever will, but I'm hardly uniquely qualified to pull it off so I figure there's hope out there in the universe still.
posted by cortex (staff) at 7:38 AM on March 25, 2011
posted by cortex (staff) at 7:38 AM on March 25, 2011
Actually what you did was change an adjective to an adverb..
This is awesome.
I chose 'good' over 'well' because good seemed like a better statement of quality for a piece of media. A film ( or play or song of whatever) can do well in terms of box office or perhaps in satisfying an individual's desire for certain things (aliens? spaceships? ok it did those things well). But in terms of describing how one feels or what one thinks about a film, you say good or great or awesome or sucks or meh. Well doesn't fit. You can say it was well done, but that usually implies there was a deficiency somewhere with it i.e. "the plot sucked by the special effects were well done."
posted by Brandon Blatcher at 7:45 AM on March 25, 2011
This is awesome.
I chose 'good' over 'well' because good seemed like a better statement of quality for a piece of media. A film ( or play or song of whatever) can do well in terms of box office or perhaps in satisfying an individual's desire for certain things (aliens? spaceships? ok it did those things well). But in terms of describing how one feels or what one thinks about a film, you say good or great or awesome or sucks or meh. Well doesn't fit. You can say it was well done, but that usually implies there was a deficiency somewhere with it i.e. "the plot sucked by the special effects were well done."
posted by Brandon Blatcher at 7:45 AM on March 25, 2011
I really miss those days.
I am jealous of your impression that they are in the past.
posted by jessamyn (staff) at 8:04 AM on March 25, 2011 [5 favorites]
I am jealous of your impression that they are in the past.
posted by jessamyn (staff) at 8:04 AM on March 25, 2011 [5 favorites]
Omnibusii?
The collected works of Gary and Jake.
posted by It's Raining Florence Henderson at 8:34 AM on March 25, 2011 [2 favorites]
The collected works of Gary and Jake.
posted by It's Raining Florence Henderson at 8:34 AM on March 25, 2011 [2 favorites]
Never enough opportunities to pimp for Walt Simonson's awesome interpretation of the original movie.
posted by Chuckles at 9:24 AM on March 25, 2011
posted by Chuckles at 9:24 AM on March 25, 2011
For a second, I thought "butterstick and cortex et al" was how you referred to the mods.
posted by sambosambo at 10:38 AM on March 25, 2011 [1 favorite]
posted by sambosambo at 10:38 AM on March 25, 2011 [1 favorite]
So we're still talking about Alien in this thread, right?
posted by shakespeherian at 11:22 AM on March 25, 2011
posted by shakespeherian at 11:22 AM on March 25, 2011
Gary would appear to be alien, yes. Not sure about Jake.
posted by It's Raining Florence Henderson at 11:23 AM on March 25, 2011
posted by It's Raining Florence Henderson at 11:23 AM on March 25, 2011
So we're still talking about Alien in this thread, right?
No, that's the worst one, no need to bring it up. We're discussing Religion, Fetishism and the Displacement of Sex in Alien 3.
posted by Brandon Blatcher at 11:37 AM on March 25, 2011
No, that's the worst one, no need to bring it up. We're discussing Religion, Fetishism and the Displacement of Sex in Alien 3.
posted by Brandon Blatcher at 11:37 AM on March 25, 2011
Oh Brandon. They're all the worst one!
posted by shakespeherian at 11:45 AM on March 25, 2011 [1 favorite]
posted by shakespeherian at 11:45 AM on March 25, 2011 [1 favorite]
My short summary of the Dark Horse omnibus volumes - note that Vol 2. contains the awesome "Hive" which moves it up to essential status.
Things to remember: It's Hicks and Newt, not whatever stupid names they substituted them with retroactively, and anything in the movie timeline after Aliens never happened.
posted by Artw at 11:57 AM on March 25, 2011
Things to remember: It's Hicks and Newt, not whatever stupid names they substituted them with retroactively, and anything in the movie timeline after Aliens never happened.
posted by Artw at 11:57 AM on March 25, 2011
Also Alien 3 is still basically just Alien but less good and brown.
posted by Artw at 11:57 AM on March 25, 2011
posted by Artw at 11:57 AM on March 25, 2011
anything in the movie timeline after Aliens never happened
And everything that happened in Aliens happened in a much more believable and less-cliched way than was depicted in the movie.
posted by shakespeherian at 12:05 PM on March 25, 2011
And everything that happened in Aliens happened in a much more believable and less-cliched way than was depicted in the movie.
posted by shakespeherian at 12:05 PM on March 25, 2011
The first Dark Horse Aliens Vs Predators story is actually pretty good and makes the AvP Omnibus worth getting. The rest... not so much.
posted by Artw at 12:08 PM on March 25, 2011
posted by Artw at 12:08 PM on March 25, 2011
Aliens: PIG.
That's all I have to say about those comics.
Seriously. Pig.
posted by phearlez at 1:27 PM on March 25, 2011
That's all I have to say about those comics.
Seriously. Pig.
posted by phearlez at 1:27 PM on March 25, 2011
NOT a Dream! NOT a Hoax! NOT an Imaginary Story!
posted by Artw at 1:35 PM on March 25, 2011 [3 favorites]
posted by Artw at 1:35 PM on March 25, 2011 [3 favorites]
I was going to make a comment about something or other but I got wrapped up in reading about the concept and creation on Wikipedia
The script for the 1979 film Alien was initially drafted by Dan O'Bannon and Ronald Shusett.[3] Dan O'Bannon drafted an opening in which the crew of a mining ship are sent to investigate a mysterious message on an alien planet. He eventually settled on the threat being an alien creature; however, he could not conceive of an interesting way for it to get onto the ship. Inspired after waking from a dream, Shusett said, "I have an idea: the monster screws one of them,"[3] planting its seed in his body, and then bursting out of his chest. Both realized the idea had never been done before, and it subsequently became the core of the film.[3] "This is a movie about alien interspecies rape," O'Bannon said on the documentary Alien Evolution, "That's scary because it hits all of our buttons."[4] O'Bannon felt that the symbolism of "homosexual oral rape" was an effective means of discomforting male viewers.[5]posted by P.o.B. at 1:51 PM on March 25, 2011 [1 favorite]
I do have to mention, Predators was a pretty solid film.
posted by P.o.B. at 2:25 PM on March 25, 2011
posted by P.o.B. at 2:25 PM on March 25, 2011
Man I used to pick on Adrian Brody in school, and I didn't even go to school with the guy and whatsmore didn't pick on anyone ever. But he's like the Platonic ideal of the sort of guy anyone in the world could push around. His face with a big red cross through it is basically a complete anti-bullying package.
posted by tumid dahlia at 5:25 PM on March 25, 2011
posted by tumid dahlia at 5:25 PM on March 25, 2011
And as for the alien absorbing dog DNA, I was careful to erase that in my own personal continuity and I just consider it the "runt of the litter" since it had such a less-than-ideal host. So don't think of it as a dog alien. Think of it of the alien that was always last to mommy's teat. Her massive, pulsating, slime-covered, suspended-by-melted-cheese teat.
posted by tumid dahlia at 5:28 PM on March 25, 2011
posted by tumid dahlia at 5:28 PM on March 25, 2011
I am jealous of your impression that they are in the past.
posted by jessamyn ★
Is it just me, or does jessamyn seem to be getting wonderfully more sarcastic lately?
posted by PareidoliaticBoy at 5:49 PM on March 25, 2011
posted by jessamyn ★
Is it just me, or does jessamyn seem to be getting wonderfully more sarcastic lately?
posted by PareidoliaticBoy at 5:49 PM on March 25, 2011
Is it just me, or does jessamyn seem to be getting wonderfully more sarcastic lately?
My impression is that jessamyn has always been wonderfully sarcastic. She just doesn't always indulge the urge.
posted by bardophile at 2:32 AM on March 27, 2011
My impression is that jessamyn has always been wonderfully sarcastic. She just doesn't always indulge the urge.
posted by bardophile at 2:32 AM on March 27, 2011
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posted by Chocolate Pickle at 10:54 PM on March 24, 2011 [3 favorites]